What I learned today

Interesting fact about avocados, that I did not know. I love I love avocados and my usual Breakfast is two slices of toast with Vegemite and sliced avocado either a small one or half a standard one.
I’d much rather enjoy that than 5 cups of broccoli which is an unimaginable quantity to eat in a day.

[Jenise]

I'm with you there, Barbara! I was surprised that peas were also pretty dense in fiber--it was either 3 or 5 cups, can't recall which, but it wasn't 15! Oh, and another surprise was that iceberg lettuce has almost no fiber.

[Jenise]

Y'all probably know that the superior method for cooking bacon is to bake the strips in a sheet pan. No splatter on the stove and a more uniform result. Well, today I learned that Ina Garten favors this method too but she dusts the strips with flour first. I don't follow Ina but I know many who do and was surprised that I hadn't heard of anyone on the planet doing this before. I'm trying to imagine the texture--has anyone tried it?

I have not tried adding flour. Sounds like a trick to get extra crispness.

I have had Millionaire's Bacon, which is nice but not nice enough to seek out.

I've taken to stir-frying bacon in a wok, in bacon fat. It speeds up the process and I feel that I have more control over it. The downside is that, as one would expect, the bacon does come out greasy and you have to pat it down thoroughly with paper towels. Not a process for the fat-shy (but bacon isn't for them in the first place, is it?).

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Today I learned, per Jacques Pepin, that in preparing a turkey to roast if you sever the knobby joint end of the turkey leg, when the meat shrinks during cooking such that you can easily remove the tendons with kitchen pliers making the meat easier to carve or eat off the bone.

I recently learned a couple of techniques for making roux.

Roux generally start with a 50:50 mixture of flour and fat. I learned that, when measuring the flour by volume, it's important to pack the flour in the measuring cup. I've previously just scooped up loose flour and my roux have, as a result, been on the runny side--not the pancake-like texture that Chef Carey describes. This time around I packed in the 1/2 cup flour and the texture was denser.

The second thing I learned was to use a smaller pan. The dish in question is Paul Prudhomme's chicken and andouille gumbo. It starts by coating the chicken in seasoned flour and deep-frying it. You then pour off all but 1/2 cup of the oil, add 1/2 cup of the seasoned flour you used to bread the chicken, and make the roux. You stop the roux from darkening by adding chopped Cajun Trinity (bell peppers, onions, celery) to the roux. I fry the chicken in a wide saute pan with steep sides and have been making the roux in the same pan. But 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup flour barely covers the bottom of the pan. This time I made the roux in a saucepan just big enough to hold the vegetables added after making the roux. This worked out much better. The roux was in a thicker layer and much easier to control. Control over the cooking process is crucial when making roux by Paul Prudhomme's fast method, where the roux is cooked over high heat and reaches the black roux stage in about five minutes (vs. the 20+ minutes to achieve brown roux by Chef Carey's more traditional method). With this dish there's the added complication of the garlic powder and cayenne pepper in the seasoned flour, which if you're not very careful will burn before the flour reaches the desired stage (chocolate-brown to black, in this case).

The gumbo came out perfect this time.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? I don't make gumbo but rouxs for gravies etc are subject to the same principal which is why in a wide-bottomed pan I usually lower the flour to fat ratio. No measuring: just scoop in what's needed.

Interesting. I never use a wide pan to make roux, but I don't think I do 50-50, either.
...checking...
No, I overweight on flour, perhaps that makes up for the fact that I don't pack it when I measure. Hm.

I've done the floured bacon before. It is ok, but why bother with the mess? I buy an Applewood Smoked bacon that I love and put it on paper towels on a bacon rack specifically designed for the microwave. Paper towels on top, as well. I zap it for one minute for each slice. I usually do three at a time because the only time I eat bacon is with a bacon and tomato sandwich which I only do in the summer. Three minutes is perfect for the three thick slices. No mess.

I checked Chef Carey's Chef on Fire and found a recipe calling for a roux made from 4 ounces of flour and 1/2 cup clarified butter. Chef Carey always gives quantities for flour by weight, not volume--it eliminates all the inaccuracies regarding sifting and packing. So now I know the weight of flour that yields the proper ratio to match 1/2 cup of fat in a roux..

Both Paul Prudhomme and Chef Carey have lengthy cautions regarding the burn hazard of making roux. Roux is very hot and sticks to the skin. Paul Prudhomme says that in his restaurant's kitchen the nickname for roux is "Cajun napalm". Chef Carey tells a story from one of his professional cooking classes. Intrigued by the aroma of a brown roux Chef Carey was making, the student who he had chosen as an assistant dipped a finger in the roux to get a taste. He of course burned his finger. To cool off the burn he then stuck his finger in his mouth and burned that, too. As the Chef explains, "I don't administer IQ tests to prospective assistants."

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

I've done the floured bacon before. It is ok, but why bother with the mess? I buy an Applewood Smoked bacon that I love and put it on paper towels on a bacon rack specifically designed for the microwave. Paper towels on top, as well. I zap it for one minute for each slice. I usually do three at a time because the only time I eat bacon is with a bacon and tomato sandwich which I only do in the summer. Three minutes is perfect for the three thick slices. No mess.

My mother in law was a big fan of MW bacon. But the ends tended to be dried, sometimes a little burnt, by the time she got the rest to the stage she wanted. And my god, the paper towels! She would take the bacon out, move the outer pieces to the middle and vice versa, then refold the towels several times and cook some more and even then the result wasn't perfect. It was such a ridiculous production. Doesn't sound like you go through all that.

And Paul: you're such a scientist! I hardly ever measure anything. I can eye-ball to 'close enough' and that's good enough for me. If the roux's a little dry, just add more fat. If it's a little wet, no problem-o!

Jenise, I do not touch the bacon after it goes into the MW. Double layer of paper towels on the bottom, and a single layer on top. No fuss.

[Jenise]

Sounds perfect, Karen.

Our lamb shanks last night turned out great, but boy, I'd totally forgotten how much fat those puppies contain. I stripped any from outside and removed the silver skin and anything else obviously not edible, and still: tons of fat to skim before I made the gravy. Delicious, though!

well, I learned about quince. Betsy's cousin sent us several, and I realized I think I've never had a fresh quince in our kitchen.
I've had quince paste, quince marmalade/jam, and I've had Asian quince salads. So have an idea of quince, but never had it straight.
I tried a little bite and now know why no one munches on a quince.
But I made a compote (Betsy chose recipe to make, but then she got stuck at a doctor's appt with her mom and called me to say I was cooking) and loved it. Sauteed shallots in duck fat, added quince (discovered you lose a lot of core) and 5 spice, alittle sugar then broth, wine, hoisin. For those with access
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/186 ... ce-compote

[Jenise]

The aroma of quince is heavenly though, isn't it? I predict that going forward you'll be noticing that characteristic in white wines. I did the next time I picked up a young Huet Chenin.

I am playing with Harissa these days and am almost finished with a Rose Harissa jar. I am looking at this one now NEW YORK SHUK Signature Harissa, and would like some feedback on the more experienced with this product. I like a natural product with no fillers or preservatives added, full of flavor, but light heat. I cannot find this where I shop. I have used it to cook chicken thighs and also a beef roast in slow cooker. Have not tried it on eggs, or veggies. Also, I see they have harissa spice which I see no reason for because I am already loaded with warm spices of all types. Any suggestions of a brand you love and find to be the best appreciated. Thanks.

Have you considered making your own harissa? It's not difficult if you have a blender and you have complete control over heat level and what goes into it.

-Paul W.

Have you considered making your own harissa? It's not difficult if you have a blender and you have complete control over heat level and what goes into it.

-Paul W.

Have you a great recipe to share?

...NEW YORK SHUK Signature Harissa, and would like some feedback on the more experienced with this product. I like a natural product with no fillers or preservatives added, full of flavor, but light heat. I cannot find this where I shop..

I too look for products with minimal additives, and the New York Shuk line is readily available where I shop in New York. I bought the Signature Harissa and it would probably satisfy your needs, because I don't think it's very hot. My memory is a bit vague, but I don't think I loved it. Flavor didn't have a lot of zest (irrespective of heat) and I remember it as muddled, so I didn't love it to carry the flavor of a dish. So I used it slowly. But, of course as a background note amidst other things, it worked. As always, YMMV!

I just posted the recipe I use for harissa.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Today I learned that quince are part of the rose family of plants. Makes sense, then, that they grow so well in the Pacific Northwest.

Apples, pears, plums, apricots, and almonds are also members of the very extensive Rosaceae family. One distinctive characteristic of this family is that the seeds tend to have high levels of cyanide and are therefore mildly poisonous. The non-bitter varieties of almonds are one of the few members of the family whose seeds aren't toxic in large quantities. Bitter almonds get their bitterness from the cyanide they contain and should be consumed in moderation, if at all.

-Paul W..

[Jenise]

Appliance repair guy just left and I'm $700 poorer. The every-four-years replacement of an igniter, which has been my experience, is another excellent reason to go dual fuel, though he did tell me that people who bake pizza and bread real often go through igniters even faster than I do. And too, he confirmed that Wolf remains THE best source for stoves/ovens. The stuff works better/longer, and customer service is top notch. Viking, what I have, is so poor both from the customer end like me and from their end as service providers getting parts and questions answered--parts have tripled in price and supply is unreliable--that the local appliance dealers have quit repping them at all.